Adjustable frame for ornament

ABSTRACT

An article of jewelry in which a resilient frame has disconnected ends and has a connecting member secured to one such end. The frame is adapted to secure an ornamental element such as a coin therewithin. The outer surface of the other end and inner surface of the connecting member are knurled. The knurled surfaces can mesh at varying positions, whereby the frame may accommodate ornamental elements of various sizes.

United States Patent Korwin 51 July 25, 1972 [54] ADJUSTABLE FRAME FOR ORNAMENT [72] Inventor: Irving Kerwin, 153 Woodhullow Lane,

New Rochelle, NY. 10804 [22] Filed: May 21, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 39,263

[52] US. Cl. ..63/18,40/152,40/21 C [51] Int. Cl ..A44c 15/00 [58] Field of Search ..63/18, 23, 29;40/155, 152, 40/21 C, 19

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,451,153 6/1969 Dohanyos ..40/l55 848,020 3/1907 Feuerstein ..40/ l 52 495,248 4/1893 Handfield ...63/23 509,889 12/1893 Gaynor ....63/23 1,356,375 10/1920 Krantz 40/152 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 159,739 3/1921 Great Britain ..40/155 Orstedt ..40/155 Willis ..63/23 Woller ..40/155 X Primary Examiner-1 Barry Shay Attorney-James and Franklin [5 7] ABSTRACT An article of jewelry in which a resilient frame has disconnected ends and has a connecting member secured to one such end. The frame is adapted to secure an ornamental element such as a coin therewithin. The outer surface of the other end and inner surface of the connecting member are knurled. The knurled surfaces can mesh at varying positions, whereby the frame may accommodate ornamental elements of various sizes.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented July 25, 1972 3,678,705

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vl/lll INVENTOR BY M544;

ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE FRAME FOR ORNAMENT The present invention relates to articles of jewelry in the form of a frame or setting adapted to secure varying sized ornamental objects therewithin.

It has been a common commercial practice to provide frames, or settings, to retain and display ornamental objects such as valuable coins. Since most valuable coins differ in diameter, prior art settings had to be tailored to the measurements of each coin. Rarely could any one setting accommodate a large number of coins. It is highly advantageous for a jeweler to be able to stock relatively few sizes of settings, which settings can accommodate the vast multitude of coins needing frames. It is also highly desirable for the setting to be readily assembled about the coin. Since many coin owners attach sentimental as well as financial value to such coins, a properly sized setting, both readily available and securable about the coin, will satisfy many owners who are reluctant to leave their coins with jewelers for any extended period of time.

Other problems confronting coin owners and jewelers are the laws against defacing United States coinage. Bonding materials such as solder cannot be appliedto United States coins, making it desirable to provide a setting readily assembled about a coin which requires no bonding agents.

Finally, many coins or ornamental objects are treasured for their beauty as well as financial worth. Therefore, the provision of a setting which is visually attractive so as to enhance the appearance of the coin, in combination with the above mentioned desired functional qualities, provide the convenience, safety and aesthetics required by many coin owners.

It is a prime object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry in the nature of a frame or setting which can be used with varied sizes of ornamental elements or coins.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry in the nature of a frame or setting which can be secured about varying sizes of ornamental elements or coins, and has a structure which permits rapid and easy assembly to the element or coin without the need for any special skills.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry in the nature of a frame or setting which can be secured about valuable coins without defacing them.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an article of jewelry in the nature of a frame or setting which is attractive and enhances the appearance of the ornamental element or coin contained therewithin.

The aforementioned objects are satisfied by the provision of a resilient curved frame having disconnected ends. The outer surface of the frame is knurled, and there are flanges extending radially inwardly on opposite sides of the frame. A connecting member is secured to one of the disconnected ends, and is knurled along a portion of its inner surface. An omamental element or coin may be placed between the flanges, and upon insertion of the other disconnected end within the connecting member, the outer knurled surface of the frame and the inner knurled surface of the connecting member mesh, thereby securing the frame around the element or coin. Since mating knurled surfaces are able to mesh at varying positions, ornamental elements or coins of varying sizes may be closely received and secured within a given frame, the frame curvature adapting to the curvature of the element held therewithin.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other ob jects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to an article of jewelry in the nature of the frame or setting, as defined in the appended claims, and as described in the specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG; I is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing the frame and connecting piece disassembled;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention illustrating the position of the disconnected end before engage- \ment with the connecting member;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view illustrating the disconnected end secured to the connecting member, whereby an ornamental element is secured within the frame;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10. A curved resilient frame 12 has disconnected ends 18 and 20. Extending radially inwardly on opposite sides of the frame 12 are the flanges 14 which serve to secure an ornamental element or a coin within the frame. The entire outer surface 16 of the frame 12 is knurled.

A connecting piece in the form of a saddle 22 has radially downwardly extending flanges 26, and flanges 28 integral with the flanges 26 and which extend axially inwardly. The outer surface 30 of the saddle 22 is knurled, and the curvature of that saddle is substantially similar to the curvature of the frame 12. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner surface of the saddle 22 is knurled at least over the portion 24 thereof adapted to receive the frame end 18, that being the right hand half of the saddle 22 as viewed in the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 4, the saddle 22 is attached to the disconnected end 20 by inserting that disconnected end into that saddle and securing the parts together in any appropriate manner, as by soldering or by crimping or bending the flanges 26 and 28 about the flanges 14. Once the saddle 22 is secured to the disconnected end 20, the flanges are contiguous with the flanges 14, as best shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, an ornamental element 34 is placed within the flanges 14 after the frame has been expanded to a diameter slightly larger than that of the ornamental element. To secure the ornamental element 34 within the frame 12, the disconnected frame end 18 is inserted into the saddle 22 through the necessary frame length, whereby the diameter of the frame 12 is reduced to closely correspond to the diameter of the ornamental element 34. The disconnected end 18 is held within the saddle 22 by the meshing of its outer knurled surface 16 with the inner knurled surface 24 (as shown in FIG. 5). Ornamental elements 34 or coins of varying sizes may be secured within the frame 12 by merely expanding that frame to a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the ornamental element 34, and repeating the procedure, whereby the disconnected end 18 is inserted into the saddle 22, with the corresponding knurled surfaces meshing. Dif ferent sized ornamental elements produce a different size separation 32 between the disconnected ends 18 and 20, corresponding to the length of frame 12 received within the saddle 22. Removal of an ornamental element 34 is effected by gripping the frame 12 adjacent the disconnected end 18 and forcing that disconnected end out of the saddle 22. The knurled surfaces 16 and 24 slide over each other until the disconnected end 18 is free of the saddle 22. The frame 12 can then be expanded to a diameter slightly greater than that of the ornamental element 34, such that the ornamental element 34 may be removed therefrom, and a different element or coin may be placed therewithin.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, an alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a notch. 36 in the saddle 22. That notch permits the bending or crimping of the sides of the flanges 28 which are adjacent the disconnected end 18, about the flanges 14, such that the disconnected end 18 can be closely received therewithin. The notch 36 serves an addi tional purpose, that being to facilitate removal of the disconnected end 18 from the saddle 22. When placing a fingernail or tool in the notch 36, and gripping the frame 12 and urging it as heretofore described, it is found that the knurled surfaces l6 and 24 readily disengage, or slide over each other, whereby the disconnected end 18 may be removed from the saddle 22.

In either embodiment, or any alternative configuration, an eyelet 38 may be secured to the saddle 22, whereby the frame 12 and the ornamental element 34 therewithin may be suspended for display purposes. The knurled outer surface 16 on the frame 12 and the knurled outer surface 30 on the saddle 22 provide an attractive embellishment for the ornamental element 24.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the article of jewelry described herein presents a novel structure which is adaptable for use with varying sized ornamental elements or coins which can easily be secured therewithin and removed therefrom. The structural characteristics of the article herein described are provided in a way which increases the attractiveness of the ornamental element or coin with which this article is to be associated.

While but two embodiments of the present invention are herein disclosed, it will be appreciated that many variations may be made in the details thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of jewelry comprising a resilient unitary curved frame piece which defines a ring interrupted at a narrow gap area and resiliently tends to radially open out the ring against pressures tending to narrow the gap area, means on said frame for the retention therein of an ornamental element, said frame having disconnected ends between which said gap area is defined and being knurled on its radially outer surface, a connecting member secured to one end of said frame and receiving the other frame end therein, said connecting member having radially inwardly extending flanges on opposite sides thereof disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said element opposite said gap area, said member being knurled on at least a part of its radially inner surface in registration with said other frame end, said frame resilience being active to urge the radially inner surface of said member into engagement with the outer surface of that portion of said other frame end received within said member, whereby the knurlings of said member and said frame end interengage, whereby said interengagement secures said other frame end within said member, adapting said frame to retain said ornamental element therewithin, the knurled surfaces of said connecting member and said frame being capable of meshing at a plurality of positions, thereby to adapt said frame to secure a plurality of sizes of ornamental element therewithin, the length of said gap area varying with different size elements but being hidden by said flanges.

2. The article of claim 1, in which said radially inwardly extending flanges on said connecting member have laterally extending opposing lips thereon, said other end of said frame piece being received between said lips and said knurled surface of said member, the spacing between said lips and said knurled surface being closely the same as the radial thickness of said frame piece. 

1. An article of jewelry comprising a resilient unitary curved frame piece which defines a ring interrupted at a narrow gap area and resiliently tends to radially open out the ring against pressures tending to narrow the gap area, means on said frame for the retention therein of an ornamental element, said frame having disconnected ends between which said gap area is defined and being knurled on its radially outer surface, a connecting member secured to one end of said frame and receiving the other frame end therein, said connecting member having radially inwardly extending flanges on opposite sides thereof disposed along a substantial portion of the length of said element opposite said gap area, said member being knurled on at least a part of its radially inner surface in registration with said other frame end, said frame resilience being active to urge the radially inner surface of said member into engagement with the outer surface of that portion of said other frame end received within said member, whereby the knurlings of said member and said frame end interengage, whereby said interengagement secures said other frame end within said member, adapting said frame to retain said ornamental element therewithin, the knurled surfaces of said connecting member and said frame being capable of meshing at a plurality of positions, thereby to adapt said frame to secure a plurality of sizes of ornamental element therewithin, the length of said gap area varying with differenT size elements but being hidden by said flanges.
 2. The article of claim 1, in which said radially inwardly extending flanges on said connecting member have laterally extending opposing lips thereon, said other end of said frame piece being received between said lips and said knurled surface of said member, the spacing between said lips and said knurled surface being closely the same as the radial thickness of said frame piece. 